Opposition rejects LG Amendment Bill

Akram Durrani suggests further discussion on legislation

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly opposition showed reservation over the new local government setup criticising the Local Government Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai for abolishing the district government and devolving it to tehsil level.

K-P Assembly discussed the K-P Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on Friday and deferred consideration of another government bill.

Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), PML-N and PPP strongly opposed the amended bill and stated that if the government desired to devolve power to tehsil level, they should empower it, but devolving the district assembly and authority would cast great setback to the local bodies system.

Leader of the opposition Akram Khan Durrani contended that treasury benches should avoid making haste in passing the Bill and send it to select committee owing to its importance.

He said that treasury benches should not bulldoze the legislation due to their majority in the House.

Criticizing the Bill, Sardar Hussain Babak of Awami National Party (ANP) said that it is astonishing that only seven departments are being devolved under the Bill that tantamount to undermining local government system adding that local governments were not being given powers to appoint class IV employees.

He said: "the bill is an attempt to depoliticise the society, on the contrary, we have to take steps for strengthening the democratic system in the province, "he said.

ANP lawmaker suggested threadbare discussion over the Bill and said that all the stakeholders including Nazmeens and Nain Nazims should be invited in the discussion.

Treasury benches Friday foiled the attempt of the opposition to sending KP Local Government Bill to select committee, assuring the House that their concerns over the bill, would be addressed and their suggestions would be invited on the subject matter by discussing the legislation in the House properly.   Opposing the suggestion of Durrani to send the legislation to select committee, Law Minister Sultan Khan said the bill would be discussed in the House and opposition would be given time to forward their suggestions and proposals.

Meanwhile the opposition benches in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly has staged protest over adjourning of the probing committee for Billion Tree Tsunami project meeting without the consent of the opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani while the senior minister of the PTI led government has also came harsh on the provincial information minister Shaukat Yousafzai on their ignoring the opposition benches in the postponing the committee meeting.

Babak termed the cancellation of the committee meeting as unjust to the democratic system.

The opposition members had resigned from standing committees on April 23 under protest for being ignored in disbursal of development funds, therefore, the government did not invite them to the committee’s meeting.

While supporting the opposition benches the Senior Minister Atif Khan stated that as the resignations of the K-P opposition members have not been accepted, that why committee meeting shouldn’t be postponed.

“Our minister is busy in issuing comments on the performances of other minister, while being busy, he cancelled the committee meeting, which enraged the opposition benches,” Atif stated, in a subtle remark about Information Minister Shaukat Yousufzai’s statement that changes in cabinet were due and ministers not showing performance will be sent home.

After Atif comments, the opposition benches started hooting and there was an exchange of verbal barbs over which Speaker Ghani warned that if the practices continues: “I will leave the session.”

Over the issue, the Provincial Minister for Law Sultan Muhammad Khan stated that opposition should not make an issue out of nothing.

The house also discussed calling attention notice of ANP legislator, Salah Uddin about the personnel of Levis force deputed on the security of non-elected people.

Salah Uddin through his calling attention notice informed the house that Levis force has been deputed on the security of those who do not hold any public or government status. He said that poor people were paying taxes for the security of those rich who were not entitled to it.

Responding to calling attention notice, Minister for Local Government Shahram Khan Tarakai said that matter would be discussed with authorities concerned and IGP would be contacted if the security was provided to people against the entitlement.